Jackson might not return to Storm

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Updated 10:00 pm, Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Free-agent Lauren Jackson, the two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player who led the Storm to the 2004 championship, has decided to play in the league again this summer.

For whom? She is not quite sure yet.

Jackson, 27, who has spent her entire WNBA career in Seattle and is the Storm's franchise leader in scoring, said in a radio interview that was to be aired in its entirety in her native Australia on Thursday night that she will play next either with the Storm or with the Phoenix Mercury.

"Seattle and Phoenix are sort of the two places I'm looking at. Obviously, I love Seattle and I've been there for many years," Jackson said in the 18-minute interview with Radio Sport 927 in Melbourne, excerpts of which were obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. "It's always going to be a tough decision, but I don't know what I'm going to do. As long as I feel like I don't know, I can't make any decisions."

Jackson, who has averaged 19.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 237 games for the Storm, is an unrestricted free agent for the first time in the WNBA. She is currently playing with Moscow's Spartak Vidnoe, which competes in the Russian league and in EuroLeague.

"I don't want to make the wrong (decision)," Jackson added. "It's something I'm going to decide for myself. Honestly, I'm going to wait until the Russian season is over so I can sit down and go over the pros and cons. And I also want to be with my parents when I do that."

Attempts to reach Storm coach Brian Agler for comment were not successful.

The 6-foot-5 Jackson, a forward who also can play center, was drafted by the Storm with the No. 1 overall selection in 2001. Storm guard Sue Bird, a teammate in Russia, is a close friend. So is Phoenix's Diana Taurasi, another Spartak teammate who led the WNBA in scoring last season.

Their Russian team has playoff dates through April 3. Jackson expects to return after that to Australia before leaving for the WNBA's preseason.

The Storm begins training camp on May 17.

Jackson averaged 20.2 points and 7.0 rebounds in 21 games with the Storm last year. She missed the last five games before the league's monthlong Olympic break to train with the Australian national team. That arrangement had been worked out between Jackson and the Storm before the season.

Early in her training sessions with Australia, Jackson hurt her right ankle and ultimately decided to return to Australia after the Olympics for surgery, ending her WNBA season. Seattle was eliminated in the first round of the WNBA playoffs by the Los Angeles Sparks.

Jackson is the Storm's all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocked shots, games played and minutes played. Along with her two league MVP awards, she was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. She is a six-time All-Star and a five-time member of the All-WNBA first team.